It’s International Day of Potato on 30 May! Baked, fried, boiled or mashed… we need no excuse to celebrate the super spud in all its forms.
Rösti with creamy smashed peas and poached eggs
Serves 4 // Cooking time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
450g potatoes, unpeeled
½ cup chopped onion
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp salt
½ cup vegetable oil
For the smashed peas
2 Tbsp butter
2 leeks, chopped
Salt, to taste
3 cups fresh peas
½ cup cream
To serve
Basil, to garnish
4 eggs, poached
Method
- Parboil potatoes, then drain, cool and peel them.
- Coarsely grate the potatoes. Soak in a bowl of cold water for 2 minutes.
- Spread out the grated potato and chopped onion on paper towel and pat dry.
- Place in a bowl and mix in the egg and salt.
- Using ¼ cup potato mixture at a time, shape four 10cm rounds (a good rösti must be thin).
- Heat some oil in a pan and fry each rösti for 5 minutes per side, until crisp and golden.
For the smashed peas
- Heat butter in a pan and fry the leeks until soft. Season.
- Add peas and cream and blend until chunky.
To serve, top the rösti with smashed peas, basil and poached egg.
Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za
Potato-base pizza
Serves 4 // Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
3–4 medium potatoes, washed (skin on)
2 Tbsp (30ml) olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp (30ml) tomato paste
3 Tbsp passata sauce (or other fresh tomato-based sauce)
1 cup mozzarella, grated
Handful calamata olives
4 slices ham
Wild rocket and fresh basil, for serving
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Thinly slice potatoes and arrange slices in a circle, overlapping the edges to form a 25cm base.
- Drizzle with oil and season.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes or until parcooked.
- Mix together tomato paste and passata and spread over base, leaving a 5mm
- Top with cheese and olives.
- Bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Top with ham, rocket and basil.
Recipe, styling & photography: Fresh Living magazine
Creamy herb potato cake
Serves 6 // Cooking time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Ingredients
1 Tbsp (15ml) melted butter
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
6 peeled potatoes, thinly sliced
4 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp (15ml) chopped basil
1½ Tbsp (22ml) chopped parsley
1½ (7ml) tsp salt
1 tsp milled black pepper
½ cup smooth cottage cheese
To serve
230g tub smooth cottage cheese
2 celery stalks, ribboned
Handful fresh parsley
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Brush a springform cake tin with melted butter.
- In a bowl, toss potato slices in olive oil to coat. Layer half of the potatoes in the cake tin.
- Whisk together eggs, herbs, salt and pepper. Gently pour half the egg mixture over the potatoes.
- Top with remaining potato slices and pour over leftover egg mixture.
- Add dollops of cottage cheese and cover with foil.
- Bake for 1 hour 40 minutes, until golden brown and tender.
- To serve, spoon over extra cottage cheese and top with celery ribbons and parsley.
Recipes & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: K-Leigh Siebritz/ HM Images
Libyan savoury potatoes with spiced rice
Serves 6 // Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
500g baby potatoes, washed (skin on)
Cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 stick cinnamon
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1kg beef mince
1 tsp ground turmeric
¼ cup water
For the spiced rice
2 cups rice
1 tsp ground turmeric
3 cardamom pods, crushed
For serving
Handful fresh coriander
1 spring onion, chopped
Method
- Parboil the baby potatoes, drain and cut into wedges.
- Heat some oil in a large pot and fry the onion and chilli for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger and cinnamon, and cook until fragrant (about 2 minutes).
- Add tomato paste and mince and brown the meat.
- Add the potato wedges, turmeric and water. Simmer for 10 minutes.
For the turmeric rice
- Cook rice according to packet instructions, adding turmeric and cardamom to the cooking water.
Serve the savoury potatoes with spiced rice, garnished with coriander and spring onion.
Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za
